999.99 Five Nines @ Keong Saik Road

One point for you if you related 999.99 to the standards of a fine gold bullion. Located at 29 Keong Saik, 999.99 is in fact the latest modern European restaurant along this bustling stretch. Over here, you can expect your food being served in its purest and finest form in quality, service, presentation, and most importantly well worth your gold pouch. I really can’t wait to show you what Chef Masanao Saito has up his sleeves!
Small alfresco area right outside the restaurant.
What a neat interior! Just a little background for you, Chef Saito was the Head Chef of the Japanese Embassy in Sweden, where he prepared mainly Japanese kaiseki and French cuisine. I must say that Singapore is starting to attract many great culinary chefs – lucky us! With a huge open kitchen, you can get up close and intimate with the creators of the wonderful dishes. Really love the laid-back atmosphere and warm service crew here.Tuna & Peach Salad ($14) – The menu at 999.99 is split into Cold Bites, Hot Bites, Pasta & Risotto and Main Dishes. All plates are shareable and I’ll recommend picking a dish from each category! All the dishes here sound very enticing, and I reckon you will have a hard time deciding! First up is a fruity starter that is exquisite and subtle. The pairing of tuna and peach is a first for me and they go surprisingly well together. No fishy taste in my tuna, and the fragrance and sweetness of peach shone through. Those transparent cubes are tomato jellies – the sweetness from them combined with the saltiness of ebiko, created an explosion of flavours.Burrata & Tomato Salad ($14) – I’m a huge, huge fan of burrata and this was so well done! The burrata was extremely soft and chewy. A light touch of pesto sat beneath, together with textures of tomatoes (jellies included) – that was all that was needed. I really enjoyed this modern interpretation of a classic Italian starter.Lobster Gratin ($29) – Boston lobster at $29? You bet! What’s more, be the first 20 customers to order this, and you can get it at ONLY $19!!!!!! Psst… they open at 6pm! 😉 Incredible value aside, the taste is 100% on point. Creamy, gooey lobster cubes, all chopped up and contained within the gratin – you can safely leave your manicured nails untouched as the claws are peeled too. Pampered much! This was definitely the highlight of the meal.Beef Tenderloin & Foie Gras ($29) – Huge slab of beef with a luxurious piece of foie gras – all at a fraction of the price you pay at established steakhouses! Frankly, I enjoyed the meat a lot as it was perfectly grilled. You know a piece of steak is done well when you cut into it – little resistance, and tender at the same time. As the steak is pretty thick in terms of width, each bite is just ultra satisfying. The ratio of the meat to liver was just about nice too.King Prawn Kadaif Bites ($15) – Crispy to boot, the fried vermicelli strands were so delicate that they break easily in your mouth. When you sink your teeth in, the intensity of the crunch is so addictive that you just keep chomping non-stop. Dip in to the homemade tomato and red pepper sauce and this would beat your ebi fry any time.Grilled Swordfish & Spring Onion ($15) – My jaw literally dropped when I knew of the price. Mind you, the slab of swordfish was substantial for one. In fact, I believe this piece here can produce 6-8 slices of sashimi. I’ve never had swordfish done in this way as a main course and it was a nice change from the usual salmon and sea bass. The texture was firmer than other fish, but I thought it was very well done. The charred spring onions and condiments on the side uplifted the flavours of the fish. Don’t underestimate the crispy lotus root slice too – I bet the whole plate will be wiped clean if you order this.Scallops & Cauliflower ($22) – Hokkaido scallops here, don’t play play! Huge, plump, juicy and well-cooked. What more do you want out of a scallop? Accompanied by cauliflower puree, this dish felt clean and unadulterated. I especially loved the chunks of romanesco broccoli (hybrid of broccoli and cauliflower) too.Truffle Cream Risotto & Foie Gras ($19) – You’ll be hit with the fragrance of truffle when this is served. The risotto rice was chewy and firm – a texture that I prefer for all my carbs. Would recommend to share this though, as it can get a little heavy and gelat.Lemon Granita & Mango Panna Cotta ($8) – Icy and tangy, this is the perfect dessert to end of the night! You may just whet your appetite for more cold and hot bites after this! 😉Peach Melba ($9) – I enjoyed the slices of peach that had a tinge of alcohol to them, however, the pana cotta cream at the bottom was a little too heavy for my liking.Tiramisu ($8) – Though the texture was great, the alcohol was pretty negligible. What a pity!

Good food does not have to come with a hefty price tag and 999.99 is just the epitome of that. It is no wonder that the restaurant was packed to the brim, when others were empty. You better be there early and chope your $19 lobster gratin before others do! If you’re interested, their 5-course dinner comes at only $59! Time to have your next celebration here!